Prostrations
(Repeat
each of the following salutations three times, each salutation accompanied by a
prostration or bow for a total of 15.)
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo
Kuan-Shih-Yin P‘u Sa!
Namo Tai-Shih-Chih P‘u Sa!
Namo Sacred Beings of the Pure Land!
Praise to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Sacred Beings
of the Ten Directions and Three Times!
The Amitabha Sutra
(Read
Silently)
Thus have I heard: at one time the Blessed One,
the Buddha Shakyamuni, was staying near
the city of Shravasti,
in the cloistered garden that the generous Anathapindada
gave to the Buddhist Order in Prince Jeta's
grove.
He was staying there with a large gathering of monks numbering one
thousand two hundred fifty. These monks were well known
for their extraordinary powers. They were true elders, great disciples. They
had all achieved the highest degree of sainthood, that of an Arhat.
Among these Arhats surrounding the Blessed One were the elder Sariputra and
his close friend Maudgalyayana the Great. Kashyapa the Great was also among them, and Kapphina the Great, Katyayana the
Great and Kaushthila the Great. Also among these
monks were Revata and Shuddhipanthaka,
and the Buddha's half-brother Nanda,
and his cousin and closest disciple, Ananda, as well
as Rahula, the Buddha's son. Present
there was also Gavampati, and Bharadvaja,
Kalodayin, Vakkula, and Aniruddha. These and other, many more, great disciples
accompanied the Buddha at that time.
And the Buddha was accompanied
by many of those magnificent human beings well advanced on their way to full
awakening, those who are called Bodhisattvas or Mahasattvas.
For instance, the Bodhisattva Manjushri, the Prince
of Dharma, was present in that assembly - and so was the Bodhisattva who is the
Future Buddha of our age, the Bodhisattva Maitreya,
who is called Invincible. And the Bodhisattvas Gandhahastin, Nityodyukta, and Anikshiptadhura were there. These and other, many more
Bodhisattvas or mahasattvas accompanied the Buddha
at that time.
Also present were Shakra,
known also as Indra, the King of the Gods, and
Brahma, Lord of this, our world, known as the Saha
World. These and other heavenly beings - many hundreds of thousands of millions
- accompanied the Buddha at that time.
Then, the Blessed One addressed the reverend Sariputra, saying, "To the west of us, Sariputra, a hundred thousand million Buddha-fields from
where we are, there is a world called the Land
of Bliss. At this very moment, the Tathagata, Arhat, perfect and
full Buddha called Amitayus lives in that
Buddha-field; he abides and remains there, and even now continues to teach the
Dharma in that field.
Now, what do you think, Sariputra: Why is that
world called the 'Land of Bliss'?
Sariputra, physical and mental pain
are unknown to the living beings that inhabit the world called the 'Land
of Bliss'; on the contrary, they
only experience conditions of boundless happiness. This is why that world is called the 'Land
of Bliss.'
Furthermore, Sariputra, the world known as the
Land of Bliss
is adorned and enclosed on every side by tiers of seven
railings and seven rows of palm trees, all decked with nets of tinkling
bells. It is made colorful and attractive by four
precious substances, namely, gold, silver, emerald and rock crystal. This is
how that Buddha-field is adorned, Sariputra, with such
a panoply of the wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Furthermore, Sariputra, in the world known as
the Land of Bliss
there are lotus ponds all made of seven precious substances, namely, gold,
silver, emerald, rock crystal, red pearl, sapphire, and mother of pearl as the
seventh. These ponds are brimming with water that is cool, clear, sweet, light,
soft, free from odor, free from disease, refreshing, and invigorating. In each
of these ponds the bottom slopes gently along the shore, so that the water reaches
the right depth in every bathing spot and a crow could drink from the edge of
the pond. The bottom of each pond is covered with
golden sand. And all around on each of the four sides
of these lotus ponds four sets of stairways descend into the pools. These
stairways are colorful, elegant, and made of four precious substances, namely,
gold, silver, emerald and rock crystal. And on every side of these lotus ponds
grow gem trees, colorful and graceful, made from seven precious substances,
namely, gold, silver, emerald, rock crystal, red pearl, sapphire, and mother of
pearl as the seventh.
And in those lotus ponds grow lotus flowers.
Some are blue - intensely blue, or with a blue sheen, or with a tinge of blue.
Some are yellow - intensely yellow, or with a yellow sheen, or with a tinge of
yellow. Some are red - intensely red, or with a red sheen, or with a tinge or
red. Some are white - intensely white, with a white sheen, or with a tinge of
white. Some are multicolored, with a sheen of many
colors, or with a tinge of many colors. And these
lotus blossoms are as wide as chariot wheels. This is how that
Buddha-field is adorned, Sariputra, with such a
panoply of the wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Furthermore, Sariputra, in that Buddha-field
one hears heavenly musical instruments constantly being
played. And the ground all around is golden in
color, pleasant to look at. And in that Buddha-field a shower of heavenly
coral-tree blossoms pours down three times every day and three times every
night. And the living beings who are born there travel before their forenoon
meal to other worlds, where they worship a hundred thousand million Buddhas, and then return to their own world, the Land of
Bliss, in time for the afternoon nap, having showered a hundred thousand
million flowers upon each one of those Buddhas.
This is how that Buddha-field is adorned, Sariputra,
with such a panoply of the wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Furthermore, Sariputra, in that Buddha-field
wild geese, curlews and peacocks gather three times every night and three times
every day to sing in chorus, each singing with a different voice. And as they sing, one hears that their voices proclaim
Buddhist virtues, such as the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual
powers, and the seven elements of awakening. When human beings in that world
hear these sounds, their thoughts turn to the Buddha, their
thoughts turn to the Buddha's teaching, the Dharma, and their
thoughts turn to the Buddha's Order, the Sangha.
Now, Sariputra, what do you think? Are these
birds born as retribution for their karmic offenses? You could not consider
this possible. Why? Because even the names of the
hells, the names of animal rebirths, and the name 'Realm of Yama,
the King of Death' are unknown in that Buddha-field - let alone actual birth in
any of these forms. Rather, those flocks of birds gather there to sing with the
voice of the Dharma only because they have been created
magically by the Buddha who presides in that field, the Tathagata Amitayus.
This is how that Buddha-field is adorned, Sariputra,
with such a panoply of the wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Furthermore, Sariputra, when the rows of palm
trees and nets of tinkling bells in that Buddha-field sway in the soft wind, a
sweet and enrapturing sound issues from them. This concert of sounds is, Sariputra, like a set of heavenly cymbals, with a hundred
thousand million playing parts - when these cymbals are played by expert
musicians, a sweet and enrapturing sound issues from
them. In exactly the same way, a sweet and enrapturing sound proceeds from
those rows of palm trees and those nets of tinkling bells when they sway in the
wind. When human beings in that world hear this sound, they remember the Buddha
and feel his presence in their whole body, the remember
the Dharma and feel its presence in their whole body, and they remember the Sangha and feel its presence in their whole body.
This is how that Buddha-field is adorned, Sariputra,
with such a panoply of the wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Now what do you think, Sariputra? Why is that Tathagata called Amitayus, or 'Measureless Life-span'? Now, Sariputra, the length of that Tathagata's
life and of the human beings in that Buddha-field is immeasurable. That is why
that Tathagata is called Amitayus, 'Measureless Life-span.' And
ten cosmic ages have passed, Sariputra, since this Tathagata awoke to unsurpassable, perfect, and full
awakening.
What do you think, Sariputra? Why is this Tathagata called Amitabha, or 'Measureless Light'? Now, Sariputra,
the light of this Tathagata spreads unimpeded over
all Buddha-fields. This is why this Tathagata is called Amitabha, 'Measureless
Light.' And, Sariputra,
this Tathagata is surrounded by an immeasurable
assembly of disciples, who are all pure Arhats and
whose number is impossible to count. This is how that Buddha-field is
adorned, Sariputra, with such a panoply of the
wondrous qualities of Buddha-fields.
Furthermore, Sariputra, those sentient beings
who are reborn in the Buddha-field of the Tathagata Amitayus
as pure Bodhisattvas who will not fall back and will be
separated from awakening by only one birth - the number of these
Bodhisattvas, Sariputra, is not easy to reckon. One
can only approximate their numbers by saying that they are immeasurable and
countless.
Now, Sariputra, sentient beings should set
their minds on rebirth in that Buddha-field. Why?
Because there they will meet persons like themselves,
who practice the good. For, Sariputra, living beings
are not reborn in that Buddha-field of the Tathagata Amitayus
as the result of an inferior root of merit.
Sariputra, those sons or daughters of good
families who will hear the name of the blessed Amitayus,
the Tathagata, and then will bring it to mind, and
will keep it in mind without distraction for one night, or two, or three, four,
five, six, or seven nights - they will be met by the Tathagata
at the moment of their death. When the moment of death approaches for one of
these sons or daughters of good families, Amitayus,
the Tathagata, surrounded by an assembly of disciples
and at the head of a host of Bodhisattvas, will stand before this son or
daughter, and this son or daughter will die with a mind that is free from
distorted views. After they die, they will be reborn in the Land
of Bliss, in the Buddha-field of Amitayus the Tathagata.
Therefore, Sariputra, as I understand well the
meaning of this, I declare: Sons and daughters of a good family should direct
their thoughts earnestly towards rebirth in that Buddha-field.
Sariputra, in the same way that I now praise
that Buddha-field, the Land of Bliss,
other Buddhas, blessed ones, in the
Eastern regions of the universe, praise their fields - Buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in
all the Ganges rivers in every
world in the eastern regions of the universe. Led by the Unmoved Buddha Aksobhya, Sumeru Appearance
Buddha, Great Mystical Mountain Buddha, Excellent Mountain Illuminating Buddha
and Wondrous Voice Buddha, each one of these Buddhas
covers his own Buddha-field with his tongue and then reveals all that is in it.
You should place your trust in this discourse on Dharma, called 'Embraced by
All Buddhas,' which extols inconceivable wondrous
qualities.
In the same manner, other Buddhas,
blessed ones, in the Southern regions of the universe, praise their fields - Buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in
all the Ganges rivers in every
world in the southern regions of the universe. Led by Sun and Moon Lantern
Buddha, the Well Known Illuminating Buddha, the Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha,
Sumeru Lantern Buddha, and Unlimited Pure Progress
Buddha, each covers his own Buddha-field with his tongue and then reveals all
that is in it. You should place your trust in this discourse on the Dharma,
called, 'Embraced by All Buddhas,' which extols inconceivable
qualities.
In the same manner, other Buddhas,
blessed ones, in the Western regions of the universe, praise their fields - Buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in
all the Ganges rivers in every
world in the western regions of the universe. Led by Boundless Life Span
Buddha, Immeasurable Characteristics and Marks Buddha, Immeasurable Curtain
Buddha, Great Illuminating Buddha, Great Wisdom Buddha, Jeweled Appearance
Buddha and Pure Light Buddha, each covers his own Buddha-field with his tongue
and then reveals all that is in it. You should place your trust in this
discourse on the Dharma, called, 'Embraced by All Buddhas,'
which extols inconceivable qualities.
In the same manner, other Buddhas,
blessed ones, in the Northern regions of the universe, praise their fields - Buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in
all the Ganges rivers in every
world in the northern regions of the universe. Led by Blazing Shoulders Buddha,
All-Conquering Sound Buddha, Difficult-to-Injure Buddha,
Rising Sun Buddha and Net of Wisdom Buddha, each covers his own Buddha-field
with his tongue and then reveals all that is in it. You should place your trust
in this discourse on the Dharma, called, 'Embraced by all Buddhas,' which extols inconceivable wondrous
qualities.
In the same manner, other Buddhas,
blessed ones, in the Lower regions of the universe, praise their fields - Buddhas equal in number to the grains of sand in
all the Ganges rivers in every
world in the lower regions of the universe. Led by Lion Buddha, Renown Buddha,
Famous Light Buddha, Dharma Buddha, Dharma Curtain Buddha and Dharma Protecting
Buddha, each covers his own Buddha-field with his tongue and then reveals all
that is in it. You should place your trust in this discourse on the Dharma,
called, 'Embraced by All Buddhas,' which extols
inconceivable wondrous qualities.
In the same manner, other Buddhas,
blessed ones, in the Higher regions of the universe,
praise their fields - Buddhas equal
in number to the grains of sand in all the Ganges rivers
in every world in the higher regions of the universe. Led by
Pure Sound Buddha, Lord of Past Lives Buddha, Superior Fragrance Buddha,
Fragrant Light Buddha, Great Blazing Shoulders Buddha, Many Colored Jewels and
Flower Adornment Body Buddha, Sala Tree King Buddha,
Jeweled Flower Virtue Buddha, Vision of All Truths Buddha, and Such as Mount Sumeru Buddha, each covers his own Buddha-field with his
tongue and then reveals all that is in it. You should place your trust
in this discourse on the Dharma, called 'Embraced by All Buddhas,'
which extols inconceivable wondrous qualities.
Now what do you think about this, Sariputra,
why is that discourse on Dharma called, 'Embraced by
All Buddhas?' Those sons or daughters of a good
family who hear the name of this discourse on the Dharma and remember the names
of these Buddhas, blessed ones, will all be embraced by all these Buddhas and will never retreat in their pursuit
of unsurpassable, perfect and full awakening. Therefore, Sariputra,
believe in me, and believe in these Buddhas,
blessed ones; place your trust in us, and do not doubt us.
Those sons or daughters of a good family, Sariputra, who have set their minds on rebirth in the Buddha-field
of Amitayus, the Blessed One, the Tathagata,
or those who are now setting their minds, or will set their minds, on such
rebirth, they will never retreat in their pursuit of unsurpassable, perfect,
and full awakening; they have been reborn, are now being reborn, or will be
reborn in that Buddha-field. Therefore, Sariputra,
sons or daughters of good families who have faith should actively direct their
thoughts towards rebirth in that Buddha-field.
And, Sariputra, just as I at present here
extol the inconceivable wondrous qualities of other Buddhas,
blessed ones, so in the same manner, Sariputra, all
those other Buddhas, blessed ones, extol these
inconceivable wondrous qualities of mine, saying: 'A most difficult task has
been accomplished by the Blessed One, Shakyamuni, the
Sage of the Shakyas, the Monarch of the Shakyas. After he awakened to
unsurpassable, perfect, and full awakening in this Saha
World, he taught a Dharma that the whole world was reluctant to accept, at a
time when the cosmic age was in a period of decay, when living beings were in a
period of decay, when views and opinions corrupted human beings, when the
length of human life had declined, when the afflictions vitiated human beings.
This was, even for me, Sariputra,
a most difficult task, namely, that after I awakened to unsurpassable, perfect,
and full awakening in this Saha World, I taught a
Dharma that the whole world was reluctant to accept, at a time when living
beings were in a period of decay, when views and opinions corrupted human
beings, when the afflictions vitiated human beings, when the length of human
life had declined, when the cosmic age was in a period of decay."
This was spoken by the Blessed One, the
reverend Sariputra, and the Bodhisattvas, and the
whole world as well - including its gods, humans, asuras,
and heavenly gandharva musicians - felt enraptured,
and they rejoiced at the words spoken by the Blessed One.
From the Surangama Sutra: Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta’s Complete Unification Through
Chanting of the Buddha’s Name
The Dharma Prince Mahasthanaprapta
and fifty-one Bodhisattvas of his kind rose from their seats and prostrated to
the Buddha by touching His feet with the top of their heads.
Then Mahasthamaprapta told the Buddha:
"As I recall, a long time ago, as many kalpas
back as the number of sands of the river Ganges, there
was a Buddha in the world, named Immeasurable Light Buddha.
Beginning with this Buddha, during one kalpa,
there were twelve Buddhas, one succeeding
the other. The last Buddha of this sequence was
named Transcending Sun and Moon Light. That Buddha
taught me the Samadhi of Chanting the Buddha's Name.
For example, if there are two persons, and one keeps remembering the
other, while the other keeps forgetting the first, then such two persons either
come across each other without a meeting together, or see each other without a
mutual recognition. If two persons remember each other dearly and deeply, then
even from life to life, they would stay together, like a body and its shadow,
in unseparable harmony.
Buddhas of the Ten Directions
compassionately remember sentient beings, just as a mother remembers a child.
If the child runs away, what is the use of her remembrance? If the child
remembers the mother just as the mother remembers the child, then the mother
and the child will not be far apart even through many lives.
If sentient beings wholeheartedly remember the Buddha
and chant the name of the Buddha, then immediately or in the
future they will surely see the Buddha. Being not far from Buddha,
hence, not dependent on disciplines, they will naturally open up their minds.
Just as the body of a person imbued with perfume will smell fragrant, likewise
this practice is named the Adornment with Fragrance
and Light.
While I was in the causal stage I realized the
Patience of Non-Born through the mind that chants the Buddha's
name. Now that I stay in this world to attract people who chant the Buddha's
name in order to guide them to return to the Pure
Land. Buddha, you
inquire about how I attained complete unification. I had no preference over
using any one of the six sensory organs, but withdrew from all the distractions
produced through them, and maintained the continuation of pure thoughts by
chanting the Buddha's name, thus I attained Samadhi. Hence, I
recommend this practice to be the foremost one."
The Heart Sutra
Avalokitesvara, Bodhisattva of Compassion, observing deeply the
Perfection of Wisdom, Prajna Paramita, clearly saw the emptiness of the Five Aggregates,
thus transcending adversity and pain. O, Sariputra,
form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form; form is exactly
emptiness, emptiness exactly form, the same is true of
feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness. O Sariputra, all dharmas are forms
of emptiness, not born, not destroyed; not tainted, not pure; not increasing,
not decreasing; and so in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no
perception, no mental formations, no consciousness; no eyes, no ears, no nose,
no tongue, no body, no mind; no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch,
no thought, no realm of sight and so forth until no end of consciousness, no
ignorance, no end to ignorance and so forth until no old age and death and no
end to old age and death, no suffering, no desire, no cessation, no path, no
wisdom no attainment. And so the Bodhisattva
relies on the Prajna Paramita with no hindrance in the mind, no hindrance,
therefore no fear, far beyond deluded thoughts, this is Nirvana. All past, present
and future Buddhas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom and thus attain the
Highest Perfect Enlightenment. Therefore, know that the Prajna Paramita is the Great Transcendent Mantra, the Great
Resplendent Mantra, the Unexcelled Mantra, the Unsurpassed Mantra, the Mantra Which Relieves All Suffering, so proclaim the Prajna Paramita Mantra, proclaim
the Mantra and say: Gate! Gate! Paragate! Parasamgate!
Bodhi, Svaha! Great Perfection of Wisdom, Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra.
Chanting of Mantras and Dharanis (aloud)
Mantra of Amitabha Buddha
(three times):
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Mantra of the Bodhisattva of
Compassion (three times):
Namo
Kuan-Shih-Yin P’u Sa!
Mantra of Great Strength Bodhisattva
(three times):
Namo Tai-Shih-Chih
P’u Sa!